Atropo - The huntress seeking her prey
(This story was posted on the Utopia Skye forums on April 19, 2005 by Muse.) ---- Standing on the crest of the green hills of the Dead Acre in Westfall, the huntress in black stood quietly. She spied the item she was to pick up for the farmer, but it was guarded by a beast. She sighed as she blotted her palms on her blackened defias pants. She wore almost all black having been the killer of many, most noteably many of the defias gang, including their leader who would seemingly NOT die... A beast of a man named Van Cleef. She wanted desperately to infiltrate their hideout again and take her prize for the hunt, Van Cleef's precious chestplate. It was the last piece she needed to collect to stand completely in the armor that supposedly protected them and their cause. Atropo cared not for their cause personally but detested those that claimed to be the hunter when they were indeed... the hunted. It was her obligation to show them their place and she rose to the task everyday. She had known of the location of their hideout for a while now and had indeed bested the guards with some help from a paladin who fought against the defias cause. Together, well mainly with him leading her to Van Cleef's guarded quarters, they had taken the entire hideout in a matter of an hour. "Suprising the defias didn't move their hideout after their previous 5 assaults" she thought to herself. But then again the defias weren't known for their genius minds. She chuckled to herself allowing the thoughts of defias and her burning desire to kill Van Cleef again to leave her mind. Tucking her long blue hair behind her elven ears, she lowered her bags to the ground. Pulling the bow in front of her but keeping an eye on the target she whispered to herself the words that had become her motto "Only in death is there life"... Standing back assuming her balancing stance she prepared to strike fear and eventually death in the heart of this and any other flesh ripper in the way of her task. The field around her became quiet as if the insects that sang their songs during the day knew death was near and paid homage to it with their silence. She pulled the bow taut lining her sight up directly in front of her. The tip of the poison laced arrow dripped a thick green fluid. Her heart raced once, twice, and with the third beat she let the arrow fly. With an escaped sigh of freedom the arrow sliced the air as if it were a tangible that could be cut as it sped toward it’s intended recipient. The Flesh ripper didn’t see the arrow coming before it struck home in the thick flesh of it’s chest depositing it’s poison before breaking neatly at the tip as her special arrows were designed to do. She watched the beast turn towards her and whispered “Balshant” to Alecto her trusty raptor. With a squeal of delight akin only to the raptor race that loves to tear into flesh for the sheer delight of it, Alecto took off towards the target. Her claws were razor sharp and as Alecto approached the flesh ripper one swipe opened the beast entirely. Atropo chose her next arrow carefully as she heard the sounds of Alecto’s battle with the dying flesh ripper. Satisfied with the stun arrow loaded, she stretched the arrow tight as the flesh ripper in its death throes made a direct line assault to her. Atropo held her breath as she watched it approach, its cries that once struck terror in passerby, now telling of agony. Waiting for the perfet moment, she seized it when it came and let the final arrow fly with a swift release of her hand. Not even bothering to watch the arrow slice neatly through the flesh of the beast but KNOWING it had hit home, Atropo hung her bow over her back and leadned down to pick up her bags again. The flesh ripper tried to run away and Atropo left Alecto to finish the task of death as she moved forward to collect the missing items the good farmer “what’s his name again” she thought? something or other had asked her to find. Soon enough Alecto rejoined her and Atropo smiled at this beast as she knew the task had been done… the flesh ripper would plague her no more. She swore she saw a grin on Alecto's face as it licked its chops of the blood it had tasted in its battle. She fished into her backpack and secured a mutton chop; rare of course, that she threw Alecto’s way. With a single movement the raptor caught and greedily devoured the meat swiftly tearing and grinding it to shreds in its bloodlust. Watching this beast eat, Atropo smiled thinking of the simple things in life that would make others; beast or men do anything she wanted. Atropo collected the remaining pieces of her intended item and stretched as she stood, before the waning sun of Westfall while the breeze rippled around her hair. She had other prey to discover today, so she was eager to complete this mundane task. She was after all; a huntress… and she had the ultimate prey… a human. She couldn’t help but grin thinking of her target. Those eyes… they taunted her, almost beckoning as if the target were right in front of her. With no further delay she began to run heading towards farmer what’s his name’s house, Alecto at her side, so she could be released from the servitude she had promised to Westfall in return for her armor. “And be on to hunting the thing she most enjoyed” she thought to herself… The sun descended down the stairs of the day bringing nightfall quickly to the land known as Westfall. Under the watchful eye of the beasts nearby that were witness to the prowess of this huntress, Atropo delivered her mission while preparing and indulging in the thrill of the perfect prey to hunt… Category:Warcraft Skye RP